Why Self Care is So Important When Overcoming Addiction

Addiction is more than an annoyance or inconvenience. It sucks the life out of you and leaves you feeling drained.

When trying to overcome an addiction this fact is even more exacerbated.

That’s why self-care is so important for your recovery.

Get Back to Basics

When addiction has you in its grasps even the basics of self-care often get left behind. That’s because you are so focused on either being high or getting high. There’s just not much time left over to take care of yourself.

For example, you may neglect such things as:

Bathing and grooming

Doing laundry

Cleaning and maintaining your home

If this sounds like you, it’s time to get back into a routine. Even something as basic as taking a shower and wash your hair thoroughly will be restorative. Do the basics you need to do in order to feel “normal” again.

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

For the addicted, sleep patterns get usually turned upside down. Your brain becomes hyper-focused on drugs or alcohol instead of sleep. Indeed, some drink just to be able to fall asleep at night.

As part of your self-care routine create a sleep routine that includes:

Going to bed at a reasonable hour consistently each night

Setting the temperature in the bedroom at a level that is neither too hot or cold

Removing any TV’s or other electronics from the bedroom

Not checking your phone close to bedtime (in fact, just leave it outside the bedroom)

Avoiding the use of caffeine or nicotine before bedtime

Your body actually needs sleep in order to repair itself. If you are in recovery, this is especially important.

Ensure You are Eating a Healthy Diet

Nutrition is another important component of addiction recovery. Just like with sleep, your body needs to be able to repair itself from the damage caused by addiction. If you are putting junk food into your body, then it will have a harder time healing itself.

Instead, make better food choices. For example, consider foods such as nutritious fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains. Try cooking for yourself. Cooking is creative and soulful. Preparing and eating a meal that you made yourself and is nutritious is very rewarding.

Don’t know how to cook? Look no farther than the Internet to find simple recipes that you can make yourself.

Understand Why You Need to Exercise

Addiction can leave your body drained of its energy. You may feel lifeless and without hope. If you’re capable of it, moving your body can be a natural cure for this lethargy.

When you get up and move, you can feel more productive and engaged. In fact, our bodies need to move. It’s what they’ve been designed to do. Even if it’s just for a walk around the block—that’s a start.

Also, exercise can help address other coexisting factors that go along with addiction, such as depression. That’s because when you move, your body can begin to releases natural ‘feel-good’ chemicals.

Practice Emotional Self-Care

Although it is important to address the physical aspects of self-care, you need to also be working on emotional self-care. That’s because addiction creates a lot of emotional baggage. This can be from actions you have committed in your past while addicted, or from the way your addiction has affected your relationships with other people.

To take care of yourself emotionally, try some of these ideas:

Surround yourself with positive people who support your recovery

Learn to smile and laugh again

Allow yourself to feel your emotions instead of pushing them down or hiding them

Create ways to process what has happened to you

Forgive Yourself

Finally, a crucial part of emotional self-care is learning to forgive yourself. Of course, you are accountable for your actions. Yet, you can still see yourself as a good person. After all, nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. You have the ability to recognize that and be a better person moving forward.

—

Recovering from addiction can take its toll. That’s why it is so important that you practice self-care. It can provide you with the energy and motivation to heal from your addiction and move forward on the path to recovery. Please call 949-760-7171 or text 949-244-8572 or email jimswaniger@gmail.com if you would like to talk or schedule an appointment.